₦airaland Forum

i just hope that with this, no idiot will wake up with the senile claims that jos crisis is not about religion. the muslims want to take jos by force! now we know why soo many arms have been coming via iran and other undisclosed places. no true reconciliation can ever occur in jos again. at least not with this babaric, animalistic and wicked act. i know the typical berom man is already planning a retaliation of monumental proportion.may the souls of the dead find rest in the bosom of the lord.

It baffles me what Nigerians really want. If GEJ had over asserted himself during Yaradua's illness, we would be saying he is over ambitious. Now he erred on the side of caution, we are calling him spineless! A situation that had never been experienced before in this country, which precedence would he have drawn from? Instead of us to analyze the roles Turai, Tanimu, ADC and Cso played, we are here talking about liver and balls. That spinelessness as some of u want to call it is what kept this nation and this fragile democracy alive till today. We should be greatful that during this tumultious period, God in his infinite wisdom gave u a ''spineless'' leader. Lets swap roles between  Atiku and GEJ. Assuming Atiku was GEJ and Yaradua was OBJ, the result would have been better imagined.
Even from the leaks, the ambassador has testified to GEJ'S desire for a free and fair election, which he has demostrated sufficiently. Let us as youths always analyze issues based on facts and not sentiments.Zonning as its been presented today is meant to divide this nation. I was suprised that IBB did not threaten to quit PDP if free and Fair elections were not conducted, but if zonning is not upheld in the way he understands it. Soo sad for pple that claim they will beat GEJ hands down in the primaries and they wont stop looking for ways to disqualify him from the contest. ISN'T THAT IRONICAL?

THE SAD PART IN ALL OF THIS IS THAT; IBB AND ATIKU SEEMS TO SEE ZONING AS THE ONLY WAY OUT. What happened to the idea of a free and fair contest and issue based politics. IBB has not called for a free and fair contest since he declared his interest. He has only been shouting zoning here zoning there like a mad fool. The party has said everyone is free to contest. We are not barring anybody, what is the problem with this fine decision? I wonder what IBB and Co would have been saying if the party had said: since jonathan is contesting, every other person should back him.

The beauty in all of these is that the 2011 elections have revealed to us all those ethnic leaders that were masquarading as nationalistic leaders. Is sad to see a former president, v.p, federal ministers all angling for ethnic politics. You dont need to look further to see why there was soo much lopsidedness in government appointment while this people held sway in office. God has used 2011 to expose all of them. We now know those that governed as ethnic representatives. No wonder Ibb succumed to ethnic pressure to annull the June 12 election. Mr IBB, not only will you not smell the gate of Aso Rock, you have been exposed as an ethnic bigot. Your end is a sorry one and history has only ill memory for you. As for Atiku, the scandal in the U.S is too damning to ignore. Face your past before you go to jail. Thieves, Thieves, Thieves,

THE ONLY REASON WHY I AM HAPPY IS THE FACT THAT FOR ONCE, ATIKU HAS KEPT ZONNING ASIDE TO DISCUSS SOME REAL ISSUES. I PRAY HE CONTINUES WITH ISSUE BASED POLITICS. I WAS ALMOST THINKING IT WAS ONLY ZONNING HE WAS COMING TO OFFER US.

Consensus candidate: Middle Belt accuses NLPF of bias
, Cries over exclusion of Sarah Jubril
From JAMES OJO, Abuja.
Thursday, November 18, 2010



• Ciroma
Photo: Sun News Publishing
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The North Leaders Political Forum [NLPF] has been lambasted for excluding some aspirants in its search for a consensus candidate among the aspirants for the presidential ticket of the ruling People’s Democratic Party [PDP] ahead 2011 election.
Particularly, the leader of the forum, Mallam Adamu Ciroma was accused of excluding Dr. Jubril from the list of aspirants ahead primaries.

According to the Middle Belt Dialogue (MBD), made up of minority ethnic nationalities of the North, the way the forum was carrying on left much to be desired and was not in the interest of a corporate North. Expressing dismay and anger over the activities of the NLPF in a statement yesterday, the MBD asked the forum to disband itself because it has lost focus.

Jonathan Asake, former Special Assistant to the President on National Assembly Matters, who signed the statement urged women to stage massive protest against the activities of the Forum. The NPLF, led by Mallam Adamu Ciroma, he stated, was bias against Mrs. Jubril because she is a woman and also a Christian from a minority tribe of the Middle Belt.

“Sarah Jubril, a Nupe Christian from Kwara State had since bought the presidential nomination form of the PDP, she was the second runner-up in the much talked about 1993 Jos convention of the defunct Social Democratic Party (SDP). She had been a vocal critic of both military and civilian governments ever since,” the group said.

“But in the self-appointed role of the Ciroma-led NLPF in arranging for a consensus candidate for the North, only Gen. Ibrahim Babangida, Gen. Aliyu Gusau, Alh. Atiku Abubakar and Bukola Saraki are recognised as the only candidates of the North in the PDP presidential race.
“This is in spite of the obvious omission of Dr. Sarah Jubril from the list. This omission has been consistently pointed out to Ciroma, and even Dr. Sarah Jibril has protested this injustice”.

More worrisome is the claim by NLPF that all the traditional rulers claimed to have been consulted as it awaits to pick a consensus candidate for the North, none came from the minority tribes of the North. “The areas visited and the opinion leaders consulted have exposed the real agenda of the NLPF which is to exclude a section of the North on the basis of ethnicity, religion and gender”.

“Having flouted its own rules, the NLPF has portrayed itself as partisan and incapable of being fair and objective, both by its rules and composition, it is evident that the NLPF cannot represent the interest of the Middle Belt, Northern Minorities let alone women”, the statement added. The group called on the NLPF to disband itself and go home because it had lost the confidence of all Northern women and exposed itself as chauvinistic and completely gender insensitive.

While I join the entire mokeme family in wishing their father a peaceful rest, I want to enjoin chidi to use this period for self appraisal and sober reflection. Was your late father happy with the kind of life u were living? As his first son/born, u went about dating a sugar mummy( a former senator) to the knowledge of the general public, a woman well advanced to be your mother, without thinking of settling down and starting a family. I never knew your dad, but i doubt if he would have been happy with this conduct of yours. As if this was not enough, you opened a sex shop, where intimacy gadgets and other sexual items are sold. When u were asked by a reporter, u claimed to be satisfaying the yearnings of the populace. I also doubt if your late father would have been happy to tell his friends the kind of buisness his first son was into.

I want you to ask yourself if it was fair to have allowed your father to go at 72 without carrying his grand child from you. Life is not all about fame, fortune, material acquisition and sexual satisfaction. There are deeper things which i hope this period will reveal to you. Take time to retrace your steps, for it is never too late. Once again, may his soul rest in peace.

This write up is an excerpt from the speech that was delivered by the President on the occasion of his official declaration to vie for the office of the president in the2011 polls.
I have decided to pick this particular aspect of the speech for emphasis so that all nairalanders can reflect and relate with this motivational story. For the first time, we are hearing from the horse’s mouth the true story of a man from a humble background. If Jonathan eventually wins the 2011 election, everybody in this country will know that he/she can aspire to the highest office in this country AGAINST ALL ODDS.
[b]''I was not born rich, and in my youth, I never imagined that I would be where I am today, but not once did I ever give up. Not once did I imagine that a child from otuoke, a small town village in the Niger Delta, will one day rise to the position of the president of the Federal Republic Of Nigeria. I was raised by my mother and father with just enough money to meet our daily needs. In my early days in school, I had no shoes, no school bags. I carried my books in my hands but never despaired; no car to take me to school but I never despaired. There were days I had only one meal but I never despaired. I walked miles and cross rivers to school every day but I never despaired. I didn’t have power, didn’t have generators, studied with lanterns but I never despaired. In spite of these, I finished secondary school, attended the University of Port Harcourt, and now hold a doctorate degree. Fellow Nigerians, if I could make it, you too can make it! Any Nigerian child from Kaura Namoda to Duke town; from Potiskum to Nsukka, from Isale-Eko to Gboko will be able to realize his God-given potentials, unhindered by tribe or religion and unrestricted by improvised political inhibitions. My story hold out the promise of a new Nigeria. A Nigeria built on the virtues of love and respect for one another, on unity, on industry, on hard work and on good governance.” (CULLED FROM PRESIDENT GOODLUCK JONATHAN’S EXTEMPORANEOUSLY DELIVERED DECLARATION SPEECH AT THE EAGLES SQUARE)[/b]This story shows that neither circumstances of birth or the inhibitions of life can encumber a determined mind. If Obama is too far to relate with, I believe this story that was told by the president himself should be easy to motivate us all. As youths and the future leaders of tomorrow, we should demand a new Nigeria that does not hinder progress and that gives equal opportunities to all. For once, we have a president whose ascendency to power can motivate us to aspire. Not with the barrel of the gun, but with determination, preparation and some GOODLUCK! Any one that is presently being made to feel inferior, should take solace in this story and know that; no condition is permanent and that things can only change for the better. It is always better to be prepared and not to get an opportunity than to get an opportunity that we are not prepared for. Education remains the key to opening unimaginable doors and windows of opportunities. It is rather sad that we had to wait for 50 years and circumstantially before we can have a president with a PhD!
THE FUTURE IS BRIGHT, KEEP YOUR HOPES AND DREAMS ALIVE!!!!!!!

Probably becos of the high level of poverty and deprivation that abound in this country, we are soo quick to rejoice when some ill fate befalls any ''BIG'' person. Most reasoning then becomes very illogical and full of hate for the rich. This same Ibru was at a time employing and retaining the highest number of corpers in the industry. Oceanic bank was one of the most detraibalized banks in the country as it had equal spread across the nations ethnic groups. Even her own people were regarded as minority in the bank!

At least the woman has been removed, sentenced and convicted. She even forfeited assets worth about N191bn. The psychological and emotional toture she is presently suffering cannot be compared to any other form of punishment. Why do u guys want to see her dead before you rejoice? All of you that are calling for Ibru's head, have you truelly searched yourselves to be sure that u are 100% clean? Like it is said, ''A MAN THAT HAS NOT GOTTEN AN OPPORTUNITY TO STEAL, CONSIDERS HIMSELF AN HONEST MAN''

I wish Madam Ibru a quick recovery from her present ordeals and a lesson to all of us as to how best to make use of God given positions. I rest my case.

The consequences of President Goodluck Jonathan not running in next year’s elections are many. As much as the politics of the day are centered around zoning and other ethnic considerations by most of the other aspirants except GEJ, I want to categorically state that all those positions been put forward have no altruistic motives. Why are the contestant hell bent on zoning and not free and fair pools? Why is Adamu Ciroma hell bent on seeing a northerner except Sarah Jubril become the next president of this country? Why are people not acknowledging the steps taken by the president to ensure free and fair polls like the appointment of Jega and the early release of funds to INEC? Why have threats of bomb blasts suddenly been used to discourage people from attending the presidents rally? Does this mean that bombs will be spared for any other rally except that of the president?
I want the youths that unofficially make up 60% of the country’s population to ponder on this points and not be swayed by divisive sentiments. Will this country survive under the kind of language a supposed elder states man and former federal minister in the person of Adamu Ciroma is making? If the Ciroma committee finally comes up with a candidate that wins the election, will that candidate owe his victory to the electorate or to the ethnic jingoists? Why is Sarah Jubril, a northern Christian PDP aspirants not listed amongst those to be shortlisted by the Ciroma led screening committee?
The PDP has said that the president has a constitutional right to contest and any other candidate can also freely contest why are the other aspirants finding this so difficult to accept? What would have happened if the PDP had said that no other person can contest except the president? Is the 2011 election the last election in the history of this great country? Various groups have come out openly to support the president’s re-election bid, the latest been the Ohaneze Ndigbo. A people who many of the aspirants are banking on their votes. Some have even lured them with the Vice –president slot and a verbal agreement of the presidential slot come 2015. But all that did not count when the group categorically denounced the balkanization of the country into a north and south divide and then emphatically giving an overwhelming support to the president. The Nation Newspaper carried the full press release signed by the president of the group. The ohaneze towed the line of the 5 south east governors in supporting the president. The North central leaders also rose from a meeting last week with a unanimous agreement to support the bid of the president. This is rather surprising knowing that two of PDP aspirants come from that zone. Those leaders included the senate president! For clarity, the following groups have so far openly supported the president’s re-election bid:
• South-South Governors
• South west PDP Governors
• South East Governors
• North Central Leaders
• Ohaneze Ndigbo
• Ijaw youth council.
• 49 registered political parties
• The speaker of the house of reps
• The senate president
Now, if the president after declaring his intentions to run makes a u-turn and decides not to run, a lot of people will give credit to Ciroma for singlehandedly intimidating a sitting president out of a contest. We will forever live in the believe that no sitting president can contest a free and fair election. We would have upheld violence, blackmail and intimidation as viable political tools and this includes the use of bombs and ethnic militia in our politics. We would have succeeded in balkanizing this country along ethnic, religious and regional divide.

These politicians should leave the fate of the next president in the hands of the electorate. Let us be the ones to decide who will win or lose. Let us vote with our conscience and based on policies. Let us repeat the fit of June 12, when neither ethnicity, religion or tribalism played a role as SDP featured two muslims as candidates and still defeated Tofa in his home state of Kano. Let the youths say no to ethnic politics and vote for change. We all hailed America when Obama was elected. The same people that hailed America are not willing to follow peacefully the process that brought Obama to power. Let us all Register AND VOTE WISELY IN THE FORTH COMING ELECTIONS. God bless the Nigerian Youths.

@ denitro I think you are the one that needs psychatric attention. My post on OBJ'S greatness was as a result of the lousy comments Atiku made. I expected you to logically analyze my points and see why Atiku's comments were misplaced. But as usual with intellectually lazy peeps like you, u chose to attack my person rather than the issue. Like him or not, OBJ is great. U are just a disgruntled and misguided nuisance seeking relevance.

Atiku lacks the moral latitude to make this baseless comment. Obj is by far a greater leader than atiku can ever aspire to be. Obj is a nationalist and a great Nigeria. A man like Atiku who rather than seek the peoples mandate in a free and fair pool has resorted to politics of mudslinging, zoning and personality attacks is obviously a sinking man. We all know Obj's antecedent in government. Despite his flaws, he has done fairly well ( refer to my post; like him or not, obj is a great man for more details).
For those that dont know, most of obj's actions have always been nationalistic. His standing against Sunday Awoniyi from been PDP chairman to the recent call that Nigeria belongs to us all and not to a particular section. Atiku has nothing to offer Nigerians and cannot effcetively engage in issue based politics in this modern era. Parochail sentiments and ethnic bigotry are the two major weapons in his war chest. A thief, a lair and a homosexual will certainly not live in Aso rock as the president Insha Allah. A man who is banking on the outcome of a commitee headed by Adamu Ciroma, a renowned ethnic and regional advocate to decide his faith is a big disaster waiting to happen. And from the posts I have read so far, there is a unanimous umbrage on this misfired comment.

I recently listened to the infantile comments made by a former vice president of this country referring to the Great OBJ as a mistake. I also read how the posts of all the nairalander flawlessly defeated that baseless assertion by a desperate and worn out politician seeking relevance at all cost. A quick review of why I see OBJ as a great man will suffice. Be it destiny, sheer coincidence or just luck, OBJ has got one if not all of this. See the following:

1. He willing handed over government to a democratically elected civilian at a time when military governments were still fashionable
2. The GSM communication we are all enjoying today, is the product of a willing policy implementation by the OBJ government.
3. Most civil servants now enjoy the National Health Insurance Policy( NHIS) thanks to the OBJ government.
4. The contributory pension scheme that allows the employer and employee to jointly contribute to retirement will completely eliminate the long queues and deaths pensioners go through each time they retire. I receive alert monthly from my PFA concerning my pension account. Another plus for the OBJ administration.
5. The excess crude account. When we had an oil wind fall during the gulf war, some people were unable to account for the proceeds. Obj instructed that an excess crude account be opened to accommodate all excess amount accruing to the FG from oil sales. The money could have been cornered especially by the person making this baseless allegations. The excess crude account had about $20 billion as at the time OBJ handed over to Umaru. This account, according to the world bank president insulated Nigeria against the full impact of the global financial meltdown.
6. In 1999, OBJ address headlong the age long lopsidedness in the Nigeria Army.
I can go on and on as regards the greatness of Obj, but I will stop here. Granted, Obj is not a saint. As with all men and leaders, he has his faults. But to say that a man like Obj is a mistake, I think is rather preposterous. Obj is a nationalist and a UN ambassador. Respected the world over except by some disgruntled Nigerians who will never see beyond parochial sentiments. Obj has done more for Nigerians than Atiku and his co travelers can ever do in their life time.
Atiku has been known to lack integrity in all spheres of his human endeavor. Let Atiku address issues during his moribund campaign and stop this politics of zoning and personality attacks.
I REST MY CASE. LONG LIVE NIGERIA, LONG LIVE OBJ.

The recent lousy and silly outburst of a man called Mallam Adamu Ciroma necessitated this topic. For those who do not know him, he was a former Finance minister and had played many roles at the federal level in this great country. He is now old and have decided to resort to ethnic politics. Adamu ciroma was the one who said that "NO ONE SHOULD DARE REMOVE YAR'ADUA" even when he had not set eyes on him. He made so many ethnic laden comments during the sick days of our late president that only portrayed a man who was concerned with even a coffin as the president as long as that coffin carries a northern label. He never asked the late president to resign either on health grounds or for abscondment of duty. For a supposed elder state man ( i don't know the standard used), he resorted to ethnic claims to the presidential seat when it was obvious that our president was incapacitated. This same man has the temerity to ask GEJ to resign for reasons that are obviously not altruistic.

It baffles me that a supposed elder states man can debase himself into an ethnic zealot. He now heads a moribund organization called the NORTHERN ELDERS FORUM made up of senile filthy old men who rather than prepare for their end are hell bent on destabilizing this country simply on ethnic grounds. No sooner had Yaradua been buried that this old man started mouthing zoning and zoning. He has overheated the political space SO much so that Bombs have started going off. The crux of the matter is GEJ's decision to contest an election which the constitution of this country permits him to. The constitution states and i quote;" IF ANY LAW IS INCONSISTENT WITH THE PROVISIONS OF THIS CONSTITUTION, THIS CONSTITUTION SHALL PREVAIL, AND THAT OTHER LAW SHALL TO THE EXTENT OF THE INCONSISTENCY BE VOID". Between the zoning arrangement and the constitution, which one is inconsistent? Adamu Ciroma is referred to as an elder states man and that bothers me. If all elder states men act  and talk the way he does, i wonder what would be left of this great country. It is therefore my opinion that there should be a standard for referring to people as elder states men. A man like Ciroma is an embarrassment to that title to say the least. He has heated up the polity and promoted only ethnic agenda. He is a danger to the coporate existence of this great country and a disaster to the future generation.

Ibime, its a pity you did not follow the events that preceded the amnesty, from your post at least. Recall how the late president and the ministers were excited when TOMPOLO finally accepted amnesty on the last day? This was becos, Tompolo was said to be the only one that could guarantee the complete success of the program. That was why he was bold enough to say"I OWN MEND". If all these well known commanders have accepted the amnesty and disarmed, I think you should be more intrested in finding out who is using MEND to score dirty political points rather than saying the president is paranoid. Can any terrorist be more of a terrorist than Bin-laden himself? If your answer is no, then no militant can be more militant than TOMPOLO. You can only understand this if you care to find out the antecedents of all those guys that visited the villa.

@ Bombay, Tompolo did not say MEND does not exist, he said JOMO GBOMO the supposed spokes person, does not exist.

Now that all the top military commanders of MEND; Asari, Tompolo, Boyloaf, Ateke Tom, Dagogo, Shoot At Sight and co have come out openly to deny any link to the October1 bomb blast, the big question is this; does Jomo Gbomo the supposed spokes person of MEND really exist?

Tompolo who is acclaimed as the general commander stated what many of us have been suspecting, he said;"ANYBODY CAN BE JOMO GBOMO AS LONG AS YOU HAVE THE PASSWORD". This simply means that, anyone could have issued the statement in the name of MEND. As the youths and future leaders of tomorrow( if the old allow us) we should take more than a passing interest on national issues devoid of any form of sentiments. Our politicians as usual have started the blame game already and they want to politicize the whole issue so that a proper investigation will not be possible. Based on the revelations of all the well kown ex-militant leaders yesterday, widely televised on Channels news at 10, let us begin to look at the possiblity of the none existence of Jomo Gbomo. We all know that an e-mail account can be created using any name, so WHO IS JOMO GBOMO? DOES HE REALLY EXIST? ARE SOME PEOPLE USING THE E-MAIL ACCOUNT? WAS THE BOMB BLAST A PLOY TO EMBARSS THE GOVERNMENT? WHY IS DOKPESI LINKED TO ONE OF THE SUSPECTS? WHO IS THE PRESENT COMMANDER OF MEND? IS HENRY OKAH BEEN USED? All these are pertinent questions that will help unravel the mystery behind the blast.

How come when everyone, even the dreaded Tompolo disarmed, Jomo Gbomo never surfaced? Critical opinions are welcomed. Below is an excerpt from the Sun newspaper on the parley the ex-militants had with the president:

Meanwhile, President Jonathan yesterday met top ex-militant commanders and foot soldiers of MEND numbering 100, who unanimously dissociated themselves from the twin bombing in the Federal Capital Abuja.
The ex-militants including Alhaji Mujahideen Asari Dokubo, Chief Government Ekpemupolo (Tompolo), Ebikabowe Victor (Boyloaf), Chief Ateke Tom, Comrade Fara Dagogo, Shoot At Sight, Eberi Papa and Buster Ryme, met with the President at the press briefing room by the side of the Council Chambers, Presidential Villa Abuja.

President Jonathan told them that while government regretted the incident and sympathised with the victims of the blast, “it has opened the eyes of government more to see how we can improve security.”
He wondered why anyone would choose the jubilee celebrations for the nation’s independence to express his or her misgivings, “assuming some people really feel aggrieved.”

President Jonathan, who expressed his appreciation to the ex-militants for coming out to tell the world “what you stand for”, said as one who is also from the Niger Delta, “I have fair knowledge of the oil industry and the evolution of the Niger delta issues. I want to plead that even though like most programmes, we might have hitches but I want to assure you that government is actually committed and by God’s grace most of these hitches will be resolved”.

Ebikabowe (Boyloaf) told the audience including Vice President Namadi Sambo and other top Federal Government officials that the group condemns the act, saying that “MEND is not responsible. We have disarmed. We say to the world, these people claiming they are MEND are impersonating. It is a terrorist act. The people responsible for the act should be dealt with accordingly.”

Tompolo, who is the overall commander of MEND stated “I ‘m the leader of MEND. We are not part of the incident of October 1. MEND is not involved. I am the owner of MEND. We are going to work with you to?save this country Nigeria for everyone.”
He stated further, “Jomo Gbomo does not exist, if the person handling the media sector has a problem and another person takes over so far he has the password of the email he can use the name of Jomo Gbomo and cover up as Jomo Gbomo. So there is nothing as Jomo Gbomo, he does not exist.”

Dokubo said government must not show leniency to those behind the act, describing it as “heinous and condemnable, I want to say that we the people of Niger Delta, be you the Ogonis, Ibos, be you Itsekiri, Urhobos, we have condemned this action. We want the world to know that no power in heaven, on earth or below the earth, is strong enough to resist the power of God. It is the power of God that created this world that established and stabilized it. God has said that you, Goodluck Ebele Jonathan are the President of Nigeria. Allah himself as it is the Holy Quran gives power.

It is Allah that makes a person to be rich, and reduce the rich man, all powers belong to him. God made it in such a way that this day will be possible, so whoever stands against God is like a man who is standing against a train that is moving and wants to stop the train from passing , that person will be crushed by the train. I want to say that we believe that the day the bomb happened was the saddest day in the lives of most, if not all of us.  I cried when I heard it, because I never expected it to happen and let it not be associated with the people of the Niger Delta.   
   
“We may have different political opinions, but that does not mean that we do not know our root. We are not going to sell our patrimony. We will not do it, we believe that we have all spoken. The President and leader of our organization, the Ijaw Youth Council, IYC, The platform  on which  our organization stand  and all other leaders have all spoken in unity and one accord. We represent the people of Niger Delta, our past leaders who have died in the process of this struggle such as Prof. Ken Saro wiwa, and others will be turning in their graves that somebody who claims that he is part of us will do that which we have not done.  We call on the government to investigate properly and fish out those involved and give out the most appropriate punishment.

Let there be no leniency, whoever is responsible for taking the lives of these innocent people. The action is condemnable. We have the rule of engagement in our organization, we do not kill innocent people, we do not kill women, children, nor kill even an unarmed soldier. We do not destroy properties, we do not pollute fish ponds, or cut down economic tree, we do not destroy houses and communities. anybody who is genuinely in this struggle knows that these are the laws that guide our struggle. That is the rule of our engagement, it may sound silly but this is what we stand for and we will not depart from it ,” he said.

According to the leader of delegation/ President of Ijaw Youth Council- Karomema Mabiye, “as it has been clearly stated without equivocation that everybody in unison, in solidarity has left their walks of life to come here for one purpose to solidarise with President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and his government and to assure Nigerians that the people of Niger Delta, having come this way, left the creeks and taking amnesty are solidly behind this government. There are no controversies about that, there are no pretences about that we are committed to your government, we are committed to your administration and we shall remain committed to that.

“We recognise that we live in a political environment at this time and being a political environment, all sorts of old tendencies will play out and that is we regret the recent bomb blast that happened on the day all of us were beginning to believe in this country and putting our hearts and minds in making sure that a responsible leadership emerges from this political system. When that bomb blast came, it was a rude awakening, particularly when it affected ordinary Nigerians.

“We want to say it here and to the whole world that the act is condemnable and we unequivocally condemn that act. It is dastardly, it is irresponsible and it is morally reprehensible. We reject such incident and we say that the Niger delta people are no way in support of that kind of attitude. Let it go from here and let it go to the entire world, particularly because we read in the media that it was MEND. All the leaders of MEND and all other organisations and we say that MEND was not responsible for that bomb blast.

Our struggle is a responsible struggle. Our struggle is a mortal struggle, our struggle is the struggle for fairness, justice and equity. And the political space that is opening offers a new opportunity to engage and it is only when this political process disappoints us that we can then say, our confidence has been betrayed. But we are sure that the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria has grown and understand the pains of the people of the Niger Delta and that alone gives us the confidence and courage to go after the opportunity that he provides for us and it is that we can address the issues bit by bit.

“We want to assure you that the people of the Niger Delta and not only the people of the Niger Delta because we have engaged Nigerians, we have engaged Nigerians of our kinds in the north, we have engaged Nigerians of our kinds in Igbo land, we have engaged Nigerians of our kinds in Yoruba land and in Hausa/Fulani land and we the people are happy with the dedication, with disposition that the president has continued to lead us forward and that is why the threat of emerging new generation is beginning to lead to politicisation of our march towards the new order. We want to assure you that we are with you because we see in this, the hand of the Almighty God in this,” he said.

I think the time has come for the entire country to rise in unison against MEND! It was a dastardly and embarrassing act. Politically motivated I suspect. A lot of frustrated old men have been threatening fire and brimstone since GEJ declared. I think the security agents should beam their search lights on them. It's also very strange that the lousy opposition and zoning elements have suddenly become dumb. Is it only the zoning controversy that draws comments from all facets of the political class? God rest the souls of the dead.

Guys, wat do u pple tink abot embarking on an on-line masters degree? Robust disccuss is highly recommended!

The problem I have with most of us Nigerians is that; we are too quick to celebrate the failures or downfall of successful people. This is partly due to poverty and largely due to the "bring him down mentality" embeded in the black man. I have followed Lamido Sanusi's interviews way before he became the CBN chief. Though I admire his intellectual fecundity, i have strong reservation on this journey he has decided to undertake for reasons i will explicitly state.
The Governor was very at home with this slogan; "big banks dont necessarily mean healthy banks" and for crying out loud which banks are the supposed big banks in the country at the moment?
I will start by making reference to a vangaurd publication on the 23rd of march 2009 with the caption; GROUP PLANS TO TAKEOVER TOP 5 BANKS IN THE COUNTRY. This report came out way before Sanusi became the CBN Governor. The report outlined explicitly the method to be employed in this malicious take over bid. Exactly 5 months after this report, 5 relatively strong banks were hit. You caused panic in the system as most customers are not very enlightened to understand what injection of funds is all about. All they know is that; this bank is shaky go and remove your money. Haba mallam, you should have thought out a better way to do this crude surgery. You approved the financials of one of the banks, the biggest of the 5 by my estimation a month before this your crude operation. What made you approve the result in the first instance? where you sleeping? dreaming or drinking?

Why should banks be punished for helping the economy grow? Oil importation, public private partnership, loans and advances e.t.c is what we are punishing these executives for. If there was no sinister motive or rather, a script that is been acted out, why is Sanusi in such a hurry? Is the banking reform more important than the perpetual darkness most Nigerians are used to these days? Why 5 banks? Why not all the banks at once? What is the criteria for selecting these 5 out of the rest? Was it done alphabetically or how? I was nuseated when a group lauded the action without seeking clarifications on why what was been done. I learnt some top executives in the CBN who disagreed with the crude tactics where sacked for voicing out. How long will this country continue to kill herself and then turn around to blame the undertaker for not making enough coffins?

Without apologies, i want to state categorically that; there is no amount of propaganda that will convince me that there is no sinster motive behinde all of these. Oceanic was growing too fast, cecillia was becoming too much of a hand full and then intercontinental was growing beyound their myopic estimation and the only way they could handle "us" was to conduct a major operations while the patient was fully awake! Nigerians should stop this habit of always celebarting the downfall of the rich and begin to ask question. Someday, posterity will judge this crude action, either in this life or hereafter but we must speak and talk at the same time!

Sanusi may be a risk expert, but he is not the most intelligent human being in the financial sector. I admire him, but in this regard, I could have done a better job!!! Why not set up a risk commitee and give the banks a time frame to recover the loans with a strong caveat if they fail to. Ask them the basis on which they granted these loans and all that. Find out if these loans are really performing or not. Nigerians can see how everybody is coming out to dispute figures!! A symptom of a hurried job. Banking sector reforms or any other reform for that matter should always be carried out with CAUTION!!!! This country is very sensitive to little changes. I will continue to update this report, untill Nigerians wake up to realise wat has hit them.

THE ONLY NIGERIAN I RESPECT SOO MUCH HAS NOT SPOKEN, PROFESSOR WOLE SOYINKA! UNTILL HE SPEAKS, I,

MAY POSTERITY NEVER FORGIVE THEM WHO SEEK TO BRING OTHERS DOWN!